2018 is drawing to a close and I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on the food highlights of the year…
Summer was all about diving for scallops and fishing (mostly for snapper), camping at the beach and enjoying time with friends.
I also got to taste cabbage tree for the first time this year. I went on a rongoa maori course and we learned how to identify and respectfully harvest foods and medicine from the bush.
Summer also gave us a bounty of food from the garden: strawberries, red onions, elderberries and zucchini, amongst others. It is such a joy to be able to walk outside and pick something off a tree or plant and eat it.
Easter saw me making my first batch of home-made marzipan (marzipan is difficult to buy in NZ) for a traditional Easter simnel cake.
The food photography for my new book gradually progressed through the year with a new camera body (Canon EOS 5D) and new prime lenses.
Here are a few favourite shots:
Autumn brought another harvest; this time of persimmons, feijoas, jerusalem artichokes – and guava moths that burrowed into a lot of our fruit! Hope this year will be better…
In the winter, we escaped from the Coromandel rain for a week to beautiful Samoa and gorgeous fresh produce, coconuts and cocktails…
Also in July I made a birthday cake for a very excited 9-year old boy, who wanted a spy theme… so I made a suitcase, which was great fun to make and generally met with approval from the harshest of critics ever – kids!
Spring arrived not a moment too soon with our first asparagus (after patiently waiting for several years for the crowns to mature), artichokes, and a fun fine dining experience at Sidart.
I can’t wait for what 2019 will bring! Hopefully more good times and good food! Happy 2019 everyone!